Arizona weekly citizen., 1887-11-26
TIE COSTERMONGER.
A ROUGH AND READY CHARACTER
 OF THE BRITISH METROPOLIS.
rondness for Street Brawis-How the Co,terinonser Settles Disputes with Hi. FelnaIcGThe Overw orked Pony- Idle Swarrns i'm the streets.

Idle swarns i'm the streets
 The London costermOnger generally wears a fixed k.Ed Of dress. Ills hat ls always black derby, rusty from rain and weather His coat k generally rusty black frook. He rarely wears waistcoat; His trousers may be corduroy or any kind of the cheaper woolen patterns. His shoes are thick solcd and hobnailed. He always wear colorcd handkerchief tied around his neck in plnco of a collar. These hand kerchicfs are always dirty, except upon rare Sunday and holiday occasions, when new ties are dOnned. These handkerchiefs are alWays of a fInciful color, light blue and rel being the fIvCriLes. They are worn high up ou ihc neck, leaving couple of inches of dirty neck showing between the handkerchief and the greasy collar of the shImbliag fruck cOat The hantker- chief is really tine badge of the OrJier. This handkerchief about the neck designates the character and standing of q man in England as completely and thoroughly as fl he wore a uniform prescribed by act of rarliaIront The co-;crmongcIs are men engaged in street ;ruiiic of all kinds. They are generally dealers in vegetables. They begin with push cart, and if they are prosperous and reach the climax of their ambition they become the owners of small two wheeled wagons, drawn by little don kcys or ponies. The strength and endur- G,ce of these small animal, are phenOme- nal. l huye seen from six Co eight grown people on n cOstermOuger's cart being drawn at a furious pace Ly a pony not much larger than @ Newfoundland dog.
 The eOsterIuOHscr never gives his pony alIy Test. He works him during the week iu his business and uses the wrctched lt- tle animal on Sunday Co give his friends a treat in the shape of a ride to some cock ney resort ia the subUSDs. The c0ster- mCugerS live in the street. They arc never indoors except for eating and sleep ing. \ very seyere, driving storm will sometimes fore. theiu into the house, but they generally take refuge under an avn ing CT some gateway. They are a hardy. tough, coarse fbered people. They are noisy, and have G perfect passion for scenes Of uproar and excitement. You rarely hear of cOstermOncers murderiug any of their assOciatsS or of their using knives or pistols in their quarrgls. They have a way of pounding and kicking each other when engaged in disputes, but are rarely arrested, as they never seem to carry malice, and their lights generally end up in a g1oi nGtUrrj way. The costerInunger and his female are often the chief actors in -trc't bTawL When once cCs:crmOu-er ha-, begun tO keep company with COstermOnger female then she is considered his property. She speaks of him as her man and she l. spoken of as his gal 20
 IL was Sunday morning. The two had started out evidently for holiday. He was in his best. He was a surly, heavy iawed fellow, with black eyes, short nose and braWny, hniry lists. He wore a lit1le black derby hat about three sizes too small for his great, round head. His handkerchief Was the lightest of sky blues. She was buXpn. burly, of medi- um height, dressed iu true cOstermOnger style. Their dispute grew out of a diff ference Oi opinion as Go where they should spend the day. She insisted OE going one way and he fle other. They disputed for half a moment, and then he turned around and deliberately gave her a kick which lifted her about six inches from the sidewalk Co convince her that his way was the best. She turned quickly and began kicking him in return. The way she brought her number ten boots around against his shiEs very soon con vinced him that she Was as strong at that kind Cf argument us Ee. They kicked at
 
 center of a delighted and cheering crowd | and then the cosjermuuser female by her | >Nill in kicking carried hc day In a mo mcut or two more lc guye up. grinned | good naturedly and the tWO walked of | together for a happy sabbath.
 The way domestic hrIvl- are carried on | in the streets of London cannot Dee | mItchcd, l .m certain, iH any other city | in thy world. The common people who | walk the streets regard these guarrels as their own private tueGtr,c;.l- and Stcrnly | re,cut any interference Of thc police. As | a general thing the police do not touch | tL- brdwlers uules, they make too much | 5f a disturbance and block up the streets. The police then simply order them tO | move on, and make arrests only where | i!.e disturbing party rc-.>ts. During my | stay in London l have seen more street | fights than had ever seen before in my | life. The actors in these street fights or | domestic brawls appear 10 take great | pride in tine parts which they are called | Gp1u tO pluy. They are stimulated by the cheers and rours of approval from the au- ii,uce and GO their best to maintain their reputation for courage, ferOcity and skill | in reiOrt.
 The women are especially cXcitablc and Il active in a street fight The man gener- llly looks Sulky and sheeDish when en- gagged in fight with his female in public
 But the women never give them a chance | tO back out. They are much more vim dictiye and active than the men. After the man has been kicked three or four times and has had his face scratched up Il Co proper state of ruwness he be- comes excited and then strikes out hrutally and cruelty, unless police man happens tO be too ncar. The women | Are generally the yictors in these street Il lights. The fighting women generally have babies in their arms. l have seen a number uf cUstermunrcr viragUs bound ing from the ground like hyeuas, rushing uP and down with great leaps, bowling insults and cpithcts. then sweeping down toward the hated object of their wrath for a blow or kick, and when the man strikes out the baby never seems Co be re- carded as anything more than a buffer The custermGuser female uses her baby Ss a shield. The poor. WTctCECd baby is | generally philosopher and rarely, if ever, hOwls or cries. I have never heard n | ccs;e-inOnger baby even peep during the most exciting phases Of a street fight. although the mother may be bowling like panther iu her rage and excitement
 l. is this class of people that makes | even the best parts oi London d;sa-reca- ble. Vixen their work Is done they crowd the streets and i'll the pUhiics. drinking. swearing and quarrelinr. They wander in great lille swUrIuS up and down the best streets, never turning to the right or left for any one do not know when they sleep. have never been out so Iate an hour that hate not found any mum Der Of them marching about hooting and | bowling. and without the slightest cheek or EirLrGnCc from the aCthorities.-T. C. | CIawiOEd's London Letter in New York World.
 Again to the Front.
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